Children with autism have new hope of better treatment, thanks to North East scientists.

Children with autism have new hope of better treatment, thanks to North East scientists.

Researchers at Sunderland University have found children with the condition cannot break down certain proteins properly, including gluten in wheat and casein in milk, and diet can help.

They want to raise money to buy a special mobile laboratory bus which will travel up and down the country collecting samples from autistic children to help further their research.

They have joined forces with the national charity Autism Unravelled and need to raise &#xA3;500,000 to launch the project.

Paul Shattock OBE, director of the Autism Research Centre at Sunderland University, will use children's urine samples to further his research into diet and autism.

He said: "Making dietary changes does not work for everyone. But if parents want to try them they should make sure children do not become deficient in essential nutrients."

Dr Shattock offers tests to parents worried their child has autism. It costs &#xA3;60 and reveals whether casein and gluten are broken down properly.

One of the children Dr Shattock has helped is seven-year-old Andrew Parr, from Holywell, Seaton Delaval, who has moderate to severe Kanner's Syndrome, a form of autism.

Andrew's parents, computer analyst David, 41, and Noala, 35, a nurse, had his urine analysed and were recommended that he try a gluten-free diet.

Mr Parr said: "He's been on the diet for over a year now and there has been an enormous difference. His development has really accelerated."

Brenda OReilly, founder of the charity and who has an autistic son Alistair, 19, said: "Such a laboratory is urgently needed because of the difficulties faced by many children and adults with autism in travelling to hospitals or testing centres.

"This is the first such project for autism in the UK and we are sure it will help us achieve our goal of unravelling autism."